Edit This Favorite

J. Oliver Emmerich Award for Editorial Excellence

The J. Oliver Emmerich Award for Editorial Excellence presented annually during the MPA Better Newspaper Contest was founded in 1977 to honor the life and career of one of Mississippi's leading journalists and newspapermen of the 20th Century. John Oliver Emmerich, the longtime editor of The Enterprise-Journal in McComb was a past president of MPA and noted editorial writer who served as a civic leader and dedicated journalist during one of the state's most turbulent periods.

Each First Place winning entry in the annual BNC Best Editorial category is re-judged to determine the single best editorial writer in the state. The winner of the prestigious award, MPA's highest honor, is revealed during the BNC presentation at the annual convention each summer.